


Bloody Shoes and Bloody Hands

by death_is_always_free



Category: Homestuck
Genre: High School AU, M/M, stab dads
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-05-16 15:25:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5830825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/death_is_always_free/pseuds/death_is_always_free
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I'm not very good at summaries so I am not even going to attempt one at the moment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gingerinafez](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerinafez/gifts).



Observant wasn't a word often used to describe Dave Strider. Perhaps cool, ironic or, most likely, insufferable. However he was, even if he didn't admit to it often. That is why he noticed Karkat always walked with his head down. You’d expect him to stomp around and glare at everyone, but he didn't, which was curious. Dave had seen many people in the halls of Skaia High, but none that could compare to the boy with wild hair who would snap at you even as he studied a speck on your shoe like it personally offended him.

 

Karkat Vantas was never called quiet but he but he knew how to keep a secret. When Terezi and Sollux pulled pranks on the faculty he was not the one to snitch. Secrecy was an ability he did well, especially in regards to his father. When the cops came knocking it was easier to play up the ‘nervous little boy who studies the ground’ then to give various inventive swears he picked up from his dad. After all what kind of son would he be if he told them “Yes officer, my dad is indeed the infamous Spade Slick and yes sir he did indeed rob that bank, can I expect him to break out before dinner or am I eating alone tonight?”

A shitty son, that's what he would be.

The thing is that, when you stare at the ground long enough you start to notice things about people's feet, like TZ always has teal paint on her red flats and jade has white dog fur coating her galaxy sneakers.

The one that always made him curious is why a pair of already red converse had blood on

them.

 

 

Dave had blood on his shoes It didn't take a genius to figure that out, however no one really cared enough to notice or ask, which is why he was surprised when a casual acquaintance walked up to him to ask about it.

“Why would someone even have blood on their shoe?” What? Luckily Dave is a cool collected person or he would have said that out loud.

“What?” Aw shit man and here I was thinking he was cool.

“Your shoe,” he ground out, “why the ever-loving FUCK do you have blood on it?” Oh shit he's getting impatient.

“That’s what happens when you drop a sword on your foot. You get blood on your shoe.” Smooth.

“One: why do you have swords. Two: are you really such a goddamn idiot that you drop a sword on your foot?”

“One: because they're cool. Two: it totally wasn't my fault man, my bro came up behind me while I was cleaning it and scared the shit outa me.” What he didn't mention is that his bro had also placed Cal right in front of him in a preemptive strike in preparation for a strife.

For the first time in that conversation Karkat looked Dave in the eyes, and it was then as he got a good look at silvery grey eyes framed by evidence of sleepless nights, that Dave realized something very important.

“Oh shit he's hot”

 

Karkat had blood on his hands. Well not really, his dad was a stab happy dude, and that most certainly wasn’t his fault. You can't control your mob boss dad, that wasn't how these things worked! But still this is Karkat were talking about, he blames himself for everything even if he had nothing to do with it, he thinks because he the leader (at least in his head) that means he must take responsibility for everything. So every time the news said something about another being left to bleed out onto the sidewalk, Karkat lost some more sleep that night, wondering if that person's family was doing okay. Probably not was almost always the answer. Luckily his dad didn't really kill, only stab people and expect them to die while in reality they just got sent to the hospital for a while.

Tonight though Karkat wasn't thinking about that, he was instead pondering what had happened at school that day. He had looked up during his conversation (aka snark battle) with Dave when suddenly Dave turned a bright red, made all the more brighter by how pale he is, stuttered something about class and learning for like a minute before dashing off, leaving behind a stunned Karkat wondering what the fuck just happened.

If Karkat was less clueless maybe he would realize that he's kind of boyfriend material, and literally half of his friends have pined after him at some point or another. “I AM A ROMANCE MASTER” indeed.

But even as Karkat was wallowing in sleeplessness someone else was doing the same. In fact, they were both the cause of each other’s restlessness. They both were replaying the scenario wondering what exactly had happened.


	2. Chapter 2

THE NEXT DAY

 

“No but Rose, trust me when I say he's really hot, like burning sun hot.”

“When is the sun not burning?” Rose cuts in. 

“Like hotter than lava hot,” Dave continues ignoring her rude interruption. “Like imagine volcanoes on a sun that is burning in summer, that is how scorching hot he is.Karkat Vantas walks down the street and all ice cubes in a 20 mile radius melts. He is a threat to my hotness, because he is really fucking hot goddamn.”

“And why are you telling me this?”

Dave, previously hanging upside down on the couch rambling about his woes to his sister, pauses and sits up properly to face Rose in the armchair opposite.

“Because rose, you said I could always tell you anything.”

“Well,” she sighed, “At least it seems as if you have taken my words to heart.”

“Rose, what do?”

“Do what any other teenageer does; stalk him on the internet.”

“You don't think I tried? Trust me man, I totally have. I googled him but all the search results were of some mobster or something.”

“Is he a mobster?” she asks with a questioning eyebrow.

“Nah.”

“You sure?”

“Pretty sure.”

“Still, I worry about you sometimes. Actually, scratch that, I worry about you all the time. because you always get yourself entangled in other people's?? problems.” 

True, Dave did tend to do that, trying to help people was kinda his thing. Meaning he would step into fights when it was necessary to stop anyone from getting hurt, and trust me when I say he couldn't resist the cry of a child.

“Rose, I can take care of myself.“ 

“Is that why I have to bail you out all the time?” Dave smirked a little. 

“Yup that's the definition of ‘taking care of myself’, having you bail me out all the time, in fact if you would be so kind as to grab a dictionary you can see that by the phrase ‘taking care of myself’ their is a little picture of you and a caption that reads ‘Rose Lalonde, master of the bailing arts’-”

“I think that's enough, but i am glad that you know it” she said with a little smile. She glanced at her watch and her smile evaporated. “Don't you have places to be?”

“No, not really, I don't really have a social life. Wait, is Kanaya coming over?”

She shrugged “What can I say, I’m just as much of a lady killer as you are.”

Dave laughed at her “Nah don't think that's possible.” The doorbell rang. “Later.”

The twins had struck up a truce of sorts, whenever one had company over the remaining sibling would retreat to their room until the guest had left. That didn't mean they couldn't poke fun at each other though.

“Don't have too much fun with your girlfriend!” he called over his shoulder as he absconded up the stairs. The following ‘shut up!’ followed him up to his room.  
Dave collapsed on his bed, the boxes around his headboard surrounded him and made him feel as if he were in a coffin. His turn-tables were already unpacked, but he just didn't care enough to unpack the variously preserved dead stuff and other personal objects like photographs and lesser worn clothes. The custody battle that had taken place last month had luckily been short, especially once he reported neglect and child abuse. The court had instantly sided with mom Lalonde, who had cleaned up her act when he and rose were 13, nearly 3 years ago. Dave was just glad he was in a safe place, and didn't have to live with that monster anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

Karkat lived with a monster. A monstrous dungeness crab. He named it Crabdad. Karkat found his true father at the petstore when he was small. He had looked upon all the tanks and had tugged on Slick’s trousers, pointing a chubby hand at the white creature in the tank. Slick had only grinned at his little boy before beckoning the sales person over. (The employee said it was only for display, as you can clearly see on the side of the tank. Slick whipped out a knife. They got a free crab that day.)

“I just don’t know what to do Crabdad,” Karkat began. “I mean yeah he’s pretty cute, but what does that have to do with anything?”

Crabdad sat silently.

“Shut up, I totally did not say that, he has an average face is all. Average is much better than the ass ugly faces in our school, filth from the sewer looks better than most, so no, I do not have a ‘crush’ on him. Don’t be fucking stupid you idiotic crustacean.”

Crabdad blinked.

Karkat replied with a groan, “You’re right, I didn’t mean it. Sorry I called you an idiot.” 

He sighed the sigh only a teenager can produce. “What I don’t understand is, well, him. He’s just so... so… I don't even know. What confuses me even more is why it should even concern me. Actually it shouldn’t, so that’s that. I just don’t care. I have transcended human problems such as ‘caring’ and am now a god, bow down before your deity, you pathetic mortal! HAHAHAHA.”

Karkat let out a loud laugh. Alone in his room. With only a pet crab. Awkward.

But Karkat had long since passed the point of giving a shit. He talked to a crab, so what? A crab is a great listener! But that is probably because crabs can’t be offended by ornery language and obnoxiously loud swears.

Oh how he loved crabs, he thought as he shoved his hand into the tank. Most crabs don’t have a sense of loyalty or favoritism but crabdad certainly seemed to. Only Karkat could put his hand into the tank, not to mention holding the crab/pale crustacean/small claw monster. Slick almost lost a finger one time trying to feed the beast. That was a good day.

“Oh Crabdad it's hard being a teenager and growing up, it's hard and no one understands.” Karkat lifted him out of the tank and gave him a cuddle. Crab cuddles. Yet even as he pondered how crabs can be such great cuddlers his thoughts drifted yet again to the “mortal struggles” There's really no reason why his thoughts should be centered around that, at least that's what he thinks. It's not like he has a crush on him. It’s not like that is what happens when you like some one. 

Karkat being the (oblivious) adorabloodthirsty ragemuffin he is failed to recognize the warning signs. “maybe I just really hate this guy,”he thought. Yeah that was probably it, he decided.

Crabdad clicked his claws in annoyance. Foolish child! Your heart obviously pines for the ‘stridork’, go to him my son, breed and give me your fleshy spawn as grandchildren! I am a crab! crab crab crab crab crab... 

That is probably what he would have said, but alas the world is not advanced enough to understand the language of crustaceans. Their time will come one day, but not today. Not today.


	4. Chapter 4

This is it Strider, he can motherfucking do it like… this soliloquy is gonna go dirty fast isn’t it? Okay skip the pep talk, he is Dave Strider. He can do it without a pep talk composed of nonsensical metaphors, just go for it. Attempt one: flirt with Karkat is a go! 

He walks down the hall with a certain swagger, everyone stopped and stared like hot damn. Nice. As Dave turned into the hall with Karkat's locker, it came as a shock to the guy behind him when he stopped dead in his tracks. The man behind him hit him right in the back and then landed on his ass, emitting a loud “FUCK!”

Dave leapt behind a wall(ESCAPE!!!!). Oh my, Strider is one lucky son of a bitch, because Karkat didn’t see, and instead returned to rifling through his locker.

Or not, as Karkat turned to one of his friends passing by, namely the douchebag Sollux Captor.

“Hey, was that Dave?” he asked.

“Yup.” Sollux replied as he readjusted his strangely colored gla

sses.“One question that perhaps the infinite abyss will be able to answer, and I shall have it whispered gently into my hearing orifice. You shall be the mouthpiece of the void Sollux. Tell me, what the ever loving shit dick just happened?” 

“How the fuck should I know, I dunno what goes through dumbasses heads.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Shut the fuck up, KK.”

Karkat snickered (At his amazing joke, if you ask him) and shut the locker door before walking in the opposite direction of Dave. 

Sollux though, walked towards the corner where a nervous (What? Shut your fucking mouth he wasn’t nervous, he was too cool for… yeah, no, he was nervous.)Strider was eavesdropping. He fucked up didn’t he?

Sollux paused at the corner,listening. Dave’s nervous breathes barely audible above the noise of the high school halls. After a brief hesitation he quickly rounded the corner and scared the living shit out of Dave. 

“Why?” was the only thing he said.

“Uh, you’re gonna have to be more specific than that, I do a lot of questionable things in a day.” Dave said matter of factly, before leaning against the wall and straightening his sunglasses.

“Why did you panic, dip shit?”

“Panicking is for lame people, and I’ll have you know I’m anything but lame,” he protested.

“Again,” Sollux paused for dramatic effect, the little shit, “why did you panic?”

“No comment,” Dave said attempting nonchalance while trying to simultaneously swear under his breath in a way that couldn’t be heard r.

“I cannot believe i'm doing this but,” Sollux sighed and put his hands on Dave's shoulders, looking him directly in the eye, or as near as he could manage with his sunglasses obstructing his view. His eyes were different colors Dave noticed. “You have the best friend approval” he quickly removed his hands, touching any part of Dave wasn’t worth cutting his hands off to get rid of the affected skin.

He also wiped his hands off on his pants, which Dave took offence to. After all Dave was the best person Dave knew! But simultaneously, he was relieved he removed his hands because they were clammy and terrible, even through his shirt.

“Wait,” he snapped himself out of his thoughts of Sollux's hand texture, “approval?”

“That’s what I said. You idiot, weren’t you listening?” he said more than a little impatiently.

“No, I heard. But, like, approval for what?” honestly, Dave had no idea what was happening.

“For dating Karkat, duh!” He punctuated the statement with a eyeroll.

“Does this mean you’ll be my wingman?”

“No, god no, it's KKs’ love life and I don't involve myself in that clusterfuck.”

He turned and started to walk away before he paused and threw out into the rapidly clearing hallway “Maybe I’ll put in a good word. Maybe, but probably not.”

Aw yis that’s totally code for ‘I’ll help you out, bro’

“Thanks man”

“Don't mention it. And by don’t mention it, I mean don't talk about it. Ever.” With that he ended the conversation and ollied the fuck out to his next class. 

So, Dave thought, overall trial one was a success even in failure. Nice.

Dave was used to this sort of thing, so he just sorta rolled with it now. Yup. Was their something he was forgetting?

The tardy bell rang.

 

Damn it.


End file.
